To: *armynews,armynews@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil,armynews@dislink.jcte.jcs.mil From: paperboy Posted: Sep 1 19:58 GMT Cc: Subject: Army News 09/01/95 Subject: Army News 09/01/95 Cavalry 'charge' into Kuwait kicks off Intrinsic Action 95-3; 3rd Army greets 1st Cav arrivals to Kuwait; 1st Cav soldiers deal with separation during Kuwait deployment; Chemical specialist in Kuwait known as "Jill of All Trades,"; Well-traveled soldier calms comrades about Kuwait deployment; AWE: Computers and soldiers combine to create ultimate warfighter experiment; Sidebar: AWE training area provides variety of terrain; Warfighter experiment helps save soldiers lives; Commentary: Flags are made for saluting, not trampling Cavalry 'charge' into Kuwait kicks off Intrinsic Action 95-3, by Spc. Dee Constant and Staff Sgt. Rich Puckett (Sept. 1) CAMP DOHA, Kuwait (Army News Service) -- The Cavalry charged into Kuwait Aug. 23 to kick off Intrinsic Action 95-3. Task Force 1-5, "Black Knights," from the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade, based at Fort Hood, Texas, are here for some of the most intense, real-world, combined-arms training the world has to offer. Part of Operation Vigilant Sentinel, Intrinsic Action was originally scheduled for October, but unexplained troop movements in Iraq prompted an earlier date for the exercise, said Gen. John H. Tilelli, commander of Forces Command, who visited and spoke with troops departing Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 23. "This exercise has been executed flawlessly thanks to the total team effort of everyone involved," Tilelli said. "No one unit, soldier or civilian can make this happen alone." Task Force 1-5's mission is to conduct combined arms training and force protection operations with the Kuwaiti Army. The training will begin with platoon gunnery, then progress to company-sized operations, said Lt. Col. Timothy D. Livsey, Task Force 1-5 commander. The mission will culminate with a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise. Currently the units are taking part in maneuver drills. The decision to send the 1st Cavalry Division troops came only days before the troops arrived. Although they received no advanced notice, these troops responded to the call in quick time. "We were training out in the field at Fort Hood and our commander told us we were being called in for a different mission," said Spec. Jason Gotz, operations clerk, Headquarters Platoon, Company B, 91st Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade. "We immediately packed up and went back to garrison. We cleaned our equipment and then we started getting ready to come here," Gotz said. "It happened so fast. We went through (Preparation for Overseas Movement) and were packed and ready to go in less than 24 hours. We were ready before the planes arrived." Following a 20-hour flight the troops were bussed to the Prepositioned Stock Pile where they drew equipment and supplies. Six hours after the planes touched ground, the soldiers were moving out to the ammunition supply point. The commander of Camp Doha, Col. Bob Smalser, said it was the fastest execution of the contingency draw plan for the Kuwait theater ever. From there the tracked vehicles were loaded on C-HET's and convoyed to the Tactical Assembly Area to prepare for maneuvers. The task force is part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and is comprised of elements from the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment; 15th Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command; 91st Engineer Battalion, Engineer Brigade; 545th Military Police Company; 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Regiment and many other smaller support units. One of the smaller units to deploy, but the one with some of the bigger equipment was Battery A, 21st Field Artillery, 1st Cav Div. Crews spent much of the afternoon Aug. 20 in blistering heat at the airfield preparing their Multiple Launch Rocket Systems for the deployment. It'll be the first major deployment for the unit's Pvt. Robert Bounds, who despite leaving behind a pregnant wife, is looking forward to the mission. "We've been doing a lot of training, in fact we just had all our crews qualify," he said. "This is something I've never done, and I'm excited." Tilelli expressed pride in the division's soldiers, many of whom who were involved in field training exercises on post when they were alerted. "Those are the people we can't lose sight of," he said. "They've proven once again that they can accept a challenge and meet it head on." Morale remained high among the soldiers as they boarded the planes Tuesday afternoon. Spc. Daniel Feiler, Headquarters Company, 1st Bn, 5th Cav Regt, 1st Cav Div, was nervous, but ready. "I feel like we're trained and prepared for this," Feiler said. "Being in this unit forces you to be ready to go at a moment's notice. My wife was expecting it and she understands that's my job. Everyone is going to miss their families, but we know that we've got to be mentally tough. We know what we've got to do and we're going to go and do it." (Both soldiers write for the 4th Public Affairs Detachment.) 3rd Army greets 1st Cav arrivals to Kuwait, by Spc. Geoff Fink (Sept. 1) TACTICAL ASSEMBLY AREA LION, Kuwait (Army News Service) -- When the 1st Cavalry Division s 2nd Brigade deployed to Kuwait for Intrinsic Action 95-3, the 3rd Army was already there waiting for them. A contingency staff element from the 3rd Army was in place to provide enhanced command and control of forces in that area deployed for exercise Intrinsic Action 95-3. "We are here to give support to the 2nd brigade in the field of operations, intelligence, communication security, supply, etc.," said Sgt. 1st Class James Holden, S-3 noncomissioned officer in charge of ARCENT Kuwait. That support comes in the form of the six elements of a headquarters, S-1 through S-6. The S-1 section s mission is to serve as an interface between the task force, the division and ARCENT in the area of personnel actions, mail, pay and things of that nature, said to Capt. Richard Guillette, ARCENT Kuwait, S-1. "Our mission (S-2) is to keep tabs on what the Iraqis are doing and watch the intelligence side of the house," said Sgt. 1st Class Chester Sleezer, NCOIC of S-2 ARCENT Kuwait. Holden said the S-3 shop is the heart of the operation. The S-3 three shop is the center of all operations and our S-3 shop is here to help support the cav. Maj. Travis Heard, S-5 operations officer, said that the G-5 has two missions: that of the coalition warfare liaison and civil military operations. "The overall mission as coalition warfare liaison is to ensure the unity of effort among coalition forces through the integration of warfighting capabilities in crisis and continuous operations," he said. "The civil military operations mission is to interface with civilians of host nations for any administrative of logistical support which is needed outside of normal supply channels." The S-6 mission is communication. "Our job is to provide communication support to the task force which allows them to do coordination with the JTF. We provide them FM signal channel capability, tactical satellite and tactical telephones at the Tactical Assembly Area and Battalion Staging Area, and also provide secure voice and data communications for the entire Area Of Responsibility," said Maj. Ronald W. English G-6, 335th Signal Company, East Point Ga., with duty attached to 3rd Army Fort McPherson. The 3rd Army soldiers see the exercise as a training opportunity not only for the 1st Cavaly Division, but for themselves as well. "They get the deployment experience and experience working with the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, and it also helps us on the intelligence side by getting us into an almost real world mentality of combat, where we work at a faster pace and work more issues than we normally would," said Sleezer. "It gives us the opportunity to mix the capabilities of the 3rd Army and 1st Cavalry Division and gives us a first hand look at what we can do in combat, should the need arise," said English. (Fink writes for the 4th Public Affairs Detachment.) 1st Cav soldiers deal with separation during Kuwait deployment, by Spc. Geoff Fink (Sept. 1) TACTICAL ASSEMBLY AREA LION, Kuwait (Army News Service) -- Deploying away from home, friends and family can be a trying experience, but the soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division deployed to Kuwait for Intrinsic Action 95-3 have found ways to cope. "I try not to think about it. I try to find things out here to keep my mind off of it," says Sgt. Ivan Correa, Battery C, 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, who has a wife and two children back home. Sgt. Dave Moreno, Battery C, 4-5 ADA, passes the time by writing to his wife Laura and their three children. "Writing keeps me going, writing and thinking about them." According to Chaplain Capt. Peter Baktis, acting brigade chaplain, there will be many events to help keep the soldiers morale up. "During the deployment we'll be providing recreational activities, a regular schedule of religious services, counseling and morale phone calls." "I have been able to talk to her on the phone, I've been writing letters and I have wedding pictures to look at," said Spc. Neil Jackson, HHC 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, who married just a week before he deployed. "It also makes it easier knowing I'll have a big bank account when I get back," he added jokingly. Another thing that makes it easier for soldiers is knowing that their families understand and support them. Correa says his wife took it well and was supportive. "I talked with her and she understood that this is what I've been getting paid for all of these years in the Army." Jackson and his wife Sherzad had only been married five days and were still on their honeymoon when the deployment came. "I was inprossesing my wife when I stopped by my unit and they told me to sign in off of leave because I was being deployed," he said. "But she took it well. She knows that it's part of the package when married to a soldier." "She was upset when I told her but I explained that it was likely to happen in the military. It's something that, when it comes up, I have to do," said Spc. Theodrick McFadden, Battery C, 4-5 ADA of his girlfriend Deardra. The soldiers also know that they have each other to count on when the going gets rough. "We talk with each other and joke around and try to keep occupied by playing cards," said Correa. "It would be harder to handle if we weren't so close." Moreno agrees, "As long as I have someone to talk to it makes the time go by quicker." "We're a team and we look out for each other," said Jackson. "We do okay because we're so close, most of these guys were at my bachelor party." "My crew helps, we laugh and giggle about a lot of things and keep each other motivated by joking around," McFadden added. McFadden has another reason to stay motivated. His son Demarco Antonio was born right after he deployed. "I was mad that I couldn't be there when he was born, but I've got something to look forward to when I get back," he said. "I'm exited because when I go home I've got someone to see." (Fink writes for the 4th Public Affairs Detachment.) Chemical specialist in Kuwait known as "Jill of All Trades," by Geoff Fink (Sept. 1) 6TH LIBERTY BRIGADE HQ, Kuwait -- To adapt a metaphor, Pfc. Carolyn Elledge truly is a "Jill of All Trades." A chemical operations specialist assigned to HHD, 15th Forward Support Battalion, she serves as the HHD chemical noncommissioned officer in charge. She works in the operations shop and drives for the S-3, acts as the battalion decontamination specialist, and handles the battalion's training schedules and calendars, Elledge does it all. As Nuclear, Biological, Chemical NCO, the 21 year old from Paris, Illinois, is in charge of issuing chemical masks, keeping track of the companies NBC equipment, instructing NBC classes, and pulling maintenance on the companies chemical equipment such as M8 Alarms and radiac detectors, while her duties in the S-3 shop include clerical duties and driving for the battalion S-3, Capt. Christopher Farley. Her responsibility as battalion decon specialist, where she trains on and runs the M17 Light Decon Apparatus, and helping with the battalion's training calendars and schedules, ensure that she stays busy. "I have all kinds of jobs," she says only, "They definitely keep me busy." When asked how she handles the responsibiity she says, "I manage somehow." Elledge has never been out of the country before and was exited when she found out she was deploying, even under the circumstances. "We weren't told where we were going, just that we were deploying," she said. "They called an alert and told us that we were going somewhere and to pack our bags and bring them in to be inventoried. We didn't know until the last minute where we were actually being deployed." "It's just a part of being in the Army and I like going different places," she said She also looks forward to training in the very different environment of Kuwait. "Training out here will be different because the terrain is different," she added. "Back at Fort Hood there's more trees and bushes, where as here it's just open desert, plus with the dust storms the weather is different." (Fink writes for the 4th Public Affairs Detachment.) Well-traveled soldier calms comrades about Kuwait deployment, by Spc. Geoff Fink (Sept. 1) TACTICAL ASSEMBLY AREA LION, Kuwait (Army News Service) -- Specialist Mark Allen said he joined the Army for adventure and travel and that's just what he's had so far. The 25-year-old soldier from Detroit, Mich., has been to Panama, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Somalia, and now he's back in the Middle East with HHD, 15th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Divsion, in Kuwait. He began deploying in 1989 when he went to Panama with the 3rd Infantry Division (Old Guard) to support Operation Just Cause and has deployed nearly every year since. In 1990-1991, he deployed to Saudi Arabia with the Central Aviation Support Operations from Fort Belvoir, Va., to support Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 1992 he was at it again when he deployed with the U.S. Field Station to Turkey in support of Operation Provide Hope. In 1993 he deployed once more, this time to Somalia with HHC, 1st Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky., for Operation Restore Hope. Originally an infantryman, he reclassified to be a personnel specialist in 1992. "I thought being a 71 Lima would be less stressful and a really good way to go to school (college), but so far it's about the same." Along with his impressive list of deployments is an equally impressive list of combat patches. "I have three (combat patches) but I only wear the INSCOM (Installation Security Command) because it's kind of unique, not too many people have it." Aside from a rotation at the National Training Center, Intrinsic Action is his first deployment with the 1st Cavalry Division since he arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, in October 1994. When Allen found out he was deploying again, he used some of his experiences to help prepare some of the newer soldiers. "I talked to some of the new soldiers who were kind of scared and explained to them that they were going to be doing the same job they do at Fort Hood, and they calmed down." Allen says that in his experience no unit deploys the same way. "Every unit is different and they go about deploying in different ways, but the attitude is the same. You get pumped up to go but you also have a little bit of fear at the same time." "To me it's a rush, There's a difference between going to NTC and training and a real world mission, and that's what I like, real world missions, he said. "I wanted to come here and do a good job so my unit could look good, because we train so hard and this is a good way to show what we can do." (Fink writes for the 4th Public Affairs Detachment.) Computers and soldiers combine to create ultimate warfighter experiment, by Pfc. William Boldt (Sept. 1) (Editors note: This is the third in a series of articles on the Advanced Warfighting Experiment -- Focused Dispatch. The experiment, which will help decide the future doctrine of battlefield digitization, runs through tomorrow.) FORT KNOX, Ky. (Army News Service) -- The soldiers of the Task Force 2-33 Armor expertly maneuver their vehicles into a position to catch the enemy. Time and again, M1A2 Abrams tanks pound the enemy with fire from their 120 mm main guns, while Bradley Fighting Vehicles unleash deadly TOW missiles on the enemy. Helicopters rise from the hills to batter enemy armor, while artillery units smash the opposition from long range. The fact that many of the units exist only in simulation is nothing new. The Army constantly makes use of simulation training exercises. Parts of the forces in the battle are live, however, and that's what makes the battle noteworthy -- live forces are interacting with the forces in simulation. Welcome to the latest of the Army's Advanced Warfighting Experiments -- Focused Dispatch, where computers and soldiers combine to create the ultimate experiment. The experiment, a product of Fort Knox's Mounted Battlespace Battle Lab, is designed to rewrite the tactics, techniques, and procedures for use on a digital battlefield. But the experiment is breaking new ground in how experiments are performed. Since January, soldiers from Task Force 2-33 Armor have conducted simulated battles with the latest digital equipment. Tomorrow the three-week finale, a series of battles conducted with live and virtual vehicles interacting, draws to a close. Live The idea for the live/virtual battles came many months ago. Without the funding to send a whole battalion to a combat training center, such as the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., or the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., the Battle Lab found a unique solution --one company participating in the live battle and the remaining three companies in simulators. Company B of Task Force 2-33 drew the live portion of the experiment. The decision on which company would play the live forces was decided by chance, according to 1st Lt. Tom Holliday, the battalion's S-1. Since Aug. 14, Company B has been fighting in real vehicles at the Western Kentucky Training Area, near Greenville, Ky., facing live opponents. Meanwhile, the remaining companies face virtual opponents in the Mounted Warfare Testbed at Fort Knox. The problem facing the battlelab was linking the virtual and live portions of the battle -- more than 100 miles apart. The U.S. Army Space Command was the first agency to develop a feasible solution. To make the link, the command fitted each live friendly force vehicle and select opposing force vehicles with a Vehicular Data Communications and Posititional Awareness Demonstration device. The device translates each live vehicle's position into simulation through a commercial satellite, according to Capt. Randy Threet, a space operations officer with the command. The device tracks the vehicle's position and relays that information to the satellite. The information is downloaded by the Satellite Earth Station in Clarksville, Md., and sent to the testbed through the Defense Simulation Internet. The device gives "real-time" positioning, said Threet. The computer updates each vehicle's position about every 10 seconds. In the simulator, the soldiers see a real vehicle exactly as they would a simulated vehicle. Virtual While Company B endures the heat and humidity of the real battlefield in western Kentucky, company commanders and select personnel fight the simulated battle in virtual reality. Only a couple of vehicles for the virtual forces are controlled by Task Force 2-33 Armor soldiers. Most of the virtual vehicles are Modulated Semi-automatic Forces. The MODSAF are controlled by computer operators, according to Brian Gary, a research assistant at the testbed. The company commanders radio orders to the computer operator who controls the vehicle's movements. Certain instructions are prearranged for the MODSAF vehicles. When and how the vehicles engage targets are preset in the computer, and the vehicles automatically engage when certain criteria are met, Gary explained. The virtual opposing forces are all MODSAF, said Gary.The vehicles maneuver over a topographical view of the terrain at the live training area. Because of the simulation, the battalion can play in a larger area, however. In the live portion, the vehicles are limited to a maneuver area approximately five miles long and two miles wide. While the testbed controls the tanks, other support comes from other Army installations. The air defense for the battles is provided by Fort Bliss, Texas, and the rotary wing aviation support is provided by Fort Rucker, Ala. The installations are connected through digital equipment, voice linkages, and the Defense Simulation Internet with Knox, according to Maj. Chris Stoinoff, the Battle Lab's project officer for the virtual portion of the experiment. "This is really like one big video game...with a purpose," said Pete Wager, a research assistant at the lab. The Links Most of the systems work very well, said Stoinoff. A few minor problems have made the link challenging. The major challenge with the virtual/live system is that it's not "seamless" interaction, said Stoinoff. In a seamless interaction link, the live elements would be able to engage and kill virtual vehicles without any interaction by computer operators, and vice versa, explained Stoinoff. Because the live vehicles can't see and engage the virtual vehicles, the engagements have been kept live-to-live and virtual-to-virtual. While the two could engage each other, computer operators would need to resolve the conflict and kill the appropriate vehicle. Other problems result from the live soldier's inability to see the virtual vehicles. At one point in a battle, the live vehicles were moving through the virtual vehicles, said Gary. While the digital systems in the live vehicles make the soldiers aware of the virtual vehicles, it's still not as good as seeing them. Other problems result from the Defense Simulation Internet link. Keeping all the vehicles from the other posts and live area linked is a full-time job for several people. Even with the challenges, "The linkages are working real well," said Stoinoff. Despite the difficulty involved with the virtual/live link, it is essential to the experiment, according to Lt. Col. William Parry, the operations officer at the battle lab. The experiment needed to test the tactics, techniques, and procedures at the battalion level, explained Parry. The cost of taking a unit that size to an area large enough to engage would be prohibitive -- roughly four times the $10.4 million budget for the experiment. Add in the cost to outfit three more companies with digital vehicles and the cost skyrockets higher. But the live vehicles are an important part of the experiment. "There's a lot of things in the live environment that aren't in the simulators," Parry said. "In the simulators, there's no dust. There's no heat. There's no mosquitos." The real elements are needed for the results to be accurate, Parry said, and for the experiment to be a success. (From "Inside the Turret.") Sidebar: AWE training area provides variety of terrain, by Pfc. William Boldt (Sept. 1) FORT KNOX, Ky. (Army News Service) -- The Western Kentucky Training area, the site for the Advanced Warfighting Experiment -- Focused Dispatch, offers a variety of terrain for soldiers to fight on, according to Maj. Phil Miller, the public affairs officer for the Kentucky National Guard, the landlord of the training area. Nestled between corn and tobacco fields and small towns, the training area has been used for weekend training since 1969, said Miller. Recently, the Guard began converting land from old area strip mining operations into training land. The area comprises 8,500 acres, which includes terrain from desert scrub, to forest and woodland, to rolling hills. A runway extending 4,000 feet also gives the area the ability to land C-130 transport planes on the runway. The guard's plan is to eventually expand the training area to 46,000 acres, said Miller, making it the premier training area in the eastern United States and second only to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The NTC is comprised of 636,182 acres, 430,000 of which is used for training. The cost of sending soldiers to an NTC rotation is prohibitive, however, said Col. Pat Ritter, the chief of the Mounted Battlespace Battle Lab, which is conducting the experiment. Without the use of the training area, Focused Dispatch wouldn't have been possible without a much larger budget. (From "Inside the Turret.") Warfighter experiment helps save soldiers lives, by Pfc. William Boldt (Sept. 1) (Editors note: The following story is a sidebar to the story on the Advanced Warfighting Experiment--Focused Dispatch, which is being conducted by the Fort Knox Mounted Battlespace Battle Lab. The experiment runs through Sept. 1.) FORT KN0X, Ky. (Army News Service) -- Focused Dispatch may be an experiment of doctrine and digital equipment, but it is also an experiment that's about soldiers, according to Col. Pat Ritter, chief of the Mounted Warfighting Battlespace Laboratory. "The most valuable system that the Army has is (the soldier)," said Ritter. By experimenting now, the Army is helping to protect this valuable resource, Ritter feels. "I've already had to explain to a mom and dad and a wife how their son and husband died in combat. I don't want anybody to have to do that again." Which explains, in part, why the Army has spent so much time and money on the experiment, Ritter explained. The preparation for the experiment began more than 18 months ago and the support so far has eaten up $9.3 million of the $10.4 million budget, according to Lt. Col. William Parry, the operations officer for the experiment. A big portion of the expenditures went to the more than 20 organizations from across the country supporting the experiment. Representatives from these organizations have flooded the operations centers at Knox and the training area to obs erve the battles, run the simulators, provide technical expertise, and gather the data from the experiment. In spite of this massive effort, the only real test will come in actual combat, said Ritter. "You find out the stuff really works when people are shooting at you," Ritter said. "But if your start point is based on live simulation, versus just the experience of one guy sitting behind a typewriter, my guess is that you have a little better chance of getting it right." But if the experiment helps soldiers, all the money, time, and effort will be worth it, Ritter said. "If I spend $15 million experimenting to save one soldier's life on the battlefield, it's been worth every damn penny," said Ritter. (From "Inside the Turret.") Commentary: Flags are made for saluting, not trampling, by Sgt. 1st Class Greg Markley (Sept. 1) WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Lord Byron once said that "Whoever doesn't love his own country, loves nothing.'' Dissidents worldwide oppose their countries' leaders, but not their fellow countrymen. And so it is in America. It's like your mother: you may dislike her actions sometimes, but her heart is always pure. And so we enter a hot topic: Whether the burning of an American flag, the ultimate symbol of our free lifestyle, warrants locking the flamethrower up. Is this symbol so dear to us that no one should destroy it, even as part of the free expression guaranteed by the First Amendment? There are strong intellectual arguments against enlarging the Constitution in this way, and there is concern that banning flag burning will encourage extremists to push for curtailment of more civil liberties. But, and no apologies, this debate touches how most of us feel deep down about our greatest national symbol being torched: It just isn't right. The more vocal opponents of the 28th Amendment (which would ban flag desecration) say it would make heroes of convicted flag burners, turn them into honored political prisoners. Maybe at first, but then they would become just like any other criminal: forgotten. As for outlawing flag burning as a prelude to Nazism -- if we are so close that one small amendment would push us over, then heaven help us! Free speech is genuinely important, so we should not impede it often. But we are talking about flag burnings which occur only a handful of times a year, and most that are not for political expression, but cheap thrills. The disgruntled Vietnam veteran whose flag burning in 1966 led to the original anti-flag ruling is unusual; his complaint of vets' mistreatment was worthy of attention, but not in this way. Surely this battle survivor could have found a better way to touch the raw nerves of his fellow citizens without soiling his own reputation. The Young Communist League member who burned the American flag at the 1984 Republican Convention received much scorn, and some sympathy after his subsequent landmark court case. But did his group's recruitment rise? No. It might have had he given a rousing speech against capitalism, instead of acting like a temperamental two-year-old. One's position on the flag burning issue is in no way a litmus test of patriotism. Many military heroes and other stalwart citizens are against the amendment because they say the flag itself signifies that we should never forbid any free expression. Those who would make us less than patriotic if we disagree with any of their views are much more dangerous than people who burn flags, believe me. The flag is debased when it looks down on a meeting of paranoid militia "fighters'' planning un-American activities. The flag is disgraced when it's carried by hateful Ku Klux Klansmen; these guys know nothing about the true colors of America, which are multi-culturalism, tolerance and equal opportunity. Veterans are especially upset about the burning of the American flag because they feel it was the standard that made them climb whatever hills lay between them and victory. They feel that those who died did so for that three-colored cloth and all it meant to them. Good point, there: As soldiers we have various motivating forces (our spouses, our kids, our good name, our squad, our individualism, our God). In the end, we follow a flag into battle because it encompasses ALL those values we cherish. To see some ingrate destroy that flag on a whim, after all we and our dead and crippled buddies did for it, is disgusting. It just isn't right. (From the Fort Drum, N.Y., Sentinel.)